Emerge
by Ennabelle Mei
Summary: Kantarou Ichinomiya, Haruka and Youko are sucked into the future by the young, beautiful Kikuhime Ichinomiya, who turns out to be the reincarnation of Kantarou's daughter, Kami Ichinomiya.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Tactics_.

Ennabelle Mei: I own Kikuhime Ichinomiya and Kami Ichinomiya.

Summary: Kantarou Ichinomiya, Haruka and Youko are sucked into the future by the young, beautiful Kikuhime Ichinomiya, who turns out to be the reincarnation of Kantarou's daughter, Kami Ichinomiya. Even though Kikuhime follows the Methodist beliefs, she's still plagued with visions by day and nightmares and strange dreams by night. She's able to hear voices inside her mind and see bolded words there as well. She's also able to respond back to what's inside her mind. She also experiences strange emotions she isn't sure are hers because they feel foreign to her. When she witnesses a murder in action, it terrifies her and she strongly feels she isn't able to turn to police because they'd consider her hysterical. She turns to her ancestors instead. Now, Kantarou, Haruka and Youko are faced with a psychic, murder mystery.

**Emerge **

~ Chapter One ~

A young girl frantically rushed towards the top of an oak staircase. Her feet barely met the faded red carpeted steps and her heart pounded as her chest heaved with each gasp for breath. _I'm scared, I'm scared; I'm scared, I'm scared! _She stopped and closed her eyes. Tears wet her lashes and rolled along her cheeks. _I can't take this, I can't take this anymore! _With a deep, shuddery breath, she raised her arms and placed one hand on each side at the top of her head, then, entwined her fingers with her hair and struggled to scream, but to no avail. A strange sensation spread throughout her body and she struggled not to allow herself to fall. She forced herself to move. This seemed to create the strange sensation of a painful bolt of lightning after the strange sensation of cherry blossoms in the gentle breeze. For an instant, she wanted to give up, but now she realized she had to fight in order for her to survive.

Kikuhime Ichinomiya vividly caught the scene inside her mind as if it were from a movie. Her eyes widened with a gasp. _What am I seeing? Am I the young girl? _Curious about her vision, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. _Hmmm…Okay, now. _Just as she'd been about to force her mind back towards the start of her vision, another piece to the puzzle fell into place. The hemline of a ruffled, navy blue colored skirt appeared. Underneath the skirt poked out petite, slender legs covered by black leggings and tiny, wide feet dressed in silky, white socks with lace at the top and pale, brown dress shoes.

The more she tried to hold the image inside her mind and gain detail, the more it twisted and black eventually blurred out everything. She opened her eyes as frustration started to take over. "Argh, no! Come back!" _Darn it! _She caught herself and felt silly. _Eh? Why am I worked up over this? _"Ahem!" _Get a grip. _Once more, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

The young girl heard footsteps behind her and her eyes widened with a gasp. "Eeek!" _Oh-no! He's gonna get me!_ She trembled uncontrollably all over and her body jerked as she gained speed. When she reached the top step, her legs gave way and her knees buckled beneath her weight. Her feet slid out from under her as she fell forward onto her stomach into the hallway. _No! _Terror consumed her and her mind had no time to process thought before her body reacted instinctively. She rolled to the right, onto her back, and scooted away from the top of the stairs. Far enough away from the edge and the sound of footsteps, she stood and ran.

A closed door quickly came into view and she struggled to stop. Her body barely stopped in time. Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway and she heard someone call out, "Oh, little kitty! Come out, come out wherever you are!" _Yikes!_ Quickly, she opened the door and entered the room.

She quickly and quietly pulled the door towards her. With a sigh and the roll of her eyes, she slumped and thought, _Ah, darn it! I can't shut it all the way because he'll now! _She slid towards the floor at the foot of the door. Her foot hit something on the floor and she recoiled. "AH!" The back of her head smacked into the light blue colored door. She laid there on the floor with a frozen expression of shock as crimson red blood poured out from behind her head and stained her thick, wavy, waist-length, blonde hair.

A young boy approached her, a malicious grin spread along his lips. Charcoal eyes reflected a cold, lust for blood beneath shaggy, black bangs. He had a muscular figure and the complexion of the young girl he chased paled compared to his. The waist of his pants a little below his butt, the frayed hem ended mid-calve. He wore a tee-shirt, white socks and black sandals just as ragged. He reached into the back pocket of his pants, pulled out a switchblade knife and pushed the button on the side with his thumb. The blade sprung forth and the exposed silver glistened in the moonlight that filtered from a nearby window, into the bedroom and into the hallway. He continued to approach the young girl on the floor in front of him, the sick intent to murder. "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" He slashed her repetitively.

Kikuhime's eyes glazed over as blood showered her. _Ugh. _Tears gathered in her eyes and rolled along her cheeks. In an attempt to shut out the screams of the young girl and the horrid images, she curled up into a tight ball on her bed, closed her eyes and began to hum a tune. _I feel sick. _She clapped a hand over her mouth and rushed to the bathroom. _Why am I nauseous and lightheaded? I'm exhausted, too. _She dropped to her knees in front the toilet. The physical strength for her body to stabilize her failed and she collapsed onto her side. It took her a few moments, but she managed to sit up. Her head throbbed and everything seemed to spin. _Why must this happen to me? _Finally, she thought, _What is this? Where does this come from? I want to understand. I can't fight my fears on my own. Please, help me. Is this a gift you've given me, God, or should I leave it alone? _

Kantarou Ichinomiya gasped and his eyes widened. "What's this?" He stared at his body that glowed white. "Haruka! Hey, Haruka! Why am I-" He noticed Haruka also lit up and stopped short of his sentence. "Youko?" He looked around for her, but when he noticed she also glowed, he began to really freak out. "This cannot happen!" _What on earth is up with this?_ Before he could figure out anything, he felt himself fall through air. When he landed, he felt a set of hands shove him towards the heavens and he heard a muffled, strained voice come from underneath him.

"Harrrgh! Could you PLEASE get off me?" Beneath him, Kikuhime coughed. "Jeez, dude! Why the heck did you have to fall from the sky? I'm squashed like a bug under here!" _I summoned him, but I had no idea he'd fall from the sky!_

_Huh? Voice? Under me? _Kantarou realized he'd fallen on top of someone and quickly lifted his weight from her. "Oh-no, I'm so sorry!" _I hope I didn't hurt her. _He stared at her with concern.

_He's worried about me. _She slowly blinked and sat up with the shrug of her shoulders. With a sigh, a smile spread along her lips and she shook her head. "Never mind. It's fine." She looked up at him with lighthearted laughter. "Hey, now! There's no use for that look!"

He held out his hand and smiled. His crimson eyes shined with compassion. "Here." _She's so beautiful._

_ I like a gentleman. _Kikuhime nodded and took his hand. "Thanks." _Something tells me that I've summoned my ancestor, as his assistants, from the heart. I mean, I desperately need help and I know not where else to turn. _

Kantarou helped her stand. Startled, his eyes widened with a gasp. _What the…? _Her short arms felt narrow.

Her legs had little to no strength and her knees buckled. "Waugh!" _Oh-no, not again! _

Kantarou firmly, yet gently held her steady. _No offense, but she shouldn't be this thin. _He noticed her hollow cheeks and that her clavicles poked through the skin.

Kikuhime instantly recognized his reaction and her nose and cheeks blushed crimson as she modestly defended the tiniest amount of exposed flesh. "Please, don't look!" Her heart pounded in terror of what anyone would think. _It's ugly!_

Haruka stared at her with a sad expression. _She thinks so little of herself and she cares too much what others think._

She glared at Kantarou and yanked her hand from his. "I don't need pity or sympathy! I'm fine on my own!" _Truth is, I'm terrified. Though, they'd laugh at me if they knew. _

Kantarou smiled and shook his head. _No. This isn't pity or sympathy I feel. It's sadness. No one should have to destroy themselves over anything. _"I have an idea. Why don't we go and eat something? We can talk things out then. What do you say?"

She reluctantly replied, "Whatever!" _I may as well get this over with since there's no escape._

He asked her, "Why don't you choose a place, okay?" _There may be something in particular she likes to eat._

She glared at him. "Just shut up and choose a place so that we can get this over with!" _Jeez, he annoys me!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Tactics_.

Ennabelle Mei: I own Kikuhime Ichinomiya and Kami Ichinomiya.

**Emerge **

~ Chapter Two ~

_Ah, well, a café isn't bad. _Kikuhime stirred her strawberry yogurt parfait. "I didn't introduce myself. The name's Kikuhime Ichinomiya. I'm a follower of the Methodist beliefs. I'm also the reincarnation of Kantarou Ichinomiya's daughter." _Should I start slow, or should I gush the juicy details? It's a lot to digest._

Kantarou, who held the rim of a full cup of tea delicately to his lips, took a sip and choked. _ Wait just a…! What did…? I have a daughter in the future? Who's the mother and are we even married? _Those thoughts spun around inside his mind as he stared at Kikuhime like a moron.

Youko chirpily introduced herself. "Hi, there! I'm Youko, the fox youkai! Pleased to meet you!" After her introduction, she became concerned because of Kantarou's sudden, unusual behavior. She elbowed him in the ribs, leaned close to his right ear and whispered to him, "Hey, Kantarou. Are you all right? What's the matter?"

_I'm just startled is all! _With the shake of his head, he turned to stare out the window at passersby. _Yeah. That's correct. That tid bit of information is good enough to give a guy a heart attack._

_I don't accept silence! _Under the table, Youko swung her left leg into Kantarou's right leg. She did this repetitively. "You know I won't quit until you tell me what's wrong." _Hmmm…He must really be in some kind of terrible shock._

_This is no time to kid around. _He gave her an irritated look and groaned. "Please, stop it, Youko."

Youko continued. _Oh, Kantarou, you're such a perverted sour-puss!_

Kantarou had finally had enough and placed both hands firmly, yet gently upon her leg. "Now, will you PLEASE knock it off?" _I know she means well, but I'm not in the mood to be messed with right now. I told her to stop, but she didn't. _

Youko immediately looked remorseful. "I'm sorry, Kantarou." _Uh-oh. I may have aggravated him. Oh, but I didn't mean to!_

Kantarou sighed heavily. "Oh, Youko." _She really tries her best. Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. _He blinked slowly and stared at her, eyes lit with affection as his lips parted into a gentle smile. _Youko has a big heart. _"Ah, don't mind grumpy me." 

_Whatever those two are bickering about is no business of mine. _Haruka blocked out Youko and Kantarou as he introduced himself in a more reserved manner. "My name's Haruka and I'm the tengu."

_Oh, wait, now. Is this really the 'demon eater' I've researched? _Curious, Kikuhime cupped her chin and looked him up and down with a thoughtful expression. "Ah, so are you the 'demon eater'? I know all about you from my research. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kantarou gathered himself. "Ahem! The name's Kantarou Ichinomiya!"

Haruka stared at the blonde in front of him, eyebrows raised. _Isn't she going to eat that? _

Sweat beaded her forehead and she sighed. She realized she caught his attention and this frustrated her. _Darnit! This guy in front of me…ARGH, JEEZ! _The spoon stopped and stood in place, her hand tight around the handle. With the slightest flinch, she scooped a bite towards her delicate lips. However, her heart rejected every bit of what the spoon contained and her lips felt numb as they parted and she barely inserted the spoon into her mouth. She tasted little to no flavor and the inside of her mouth and her throat felt numb when she swallowed. Spaced out, she didn't realize she trembled. Her grip on the spoon loosened and the spoon fell to the table with a clatter. _I tried, but I just can't do it!_

Haruka smiled at her. _Hmmm…I come from a different time, so I don't understand the issue entirely. However… _His eyes emitted a tender light and he spoke gently. "Hey."

_This won't work! _She stood suddenly. "I have to go, now!" _Oh, I'm so embarrassed! Good thing I already paid beforehand! I just want to get out of here! _With that, she rushed from the table, across the café and out the door. _I should've known, I should've known!_

_She flaked out on us! _Haruka sighed as he glanced from Kantarou to Youko and calmly replied, "I'll go after her." Like a bolt of lightning, he chased her down. _Okay, I really don't understand why you must be so difficult! You remind me of someone I know! _These annoyed thoughts crossed his mind as he weaved among a crowded area of town.

Tears watered down her vision and blinded her. _I hate myself so much! Why on earth am I so alone? _Her feet sped up and her legs moved faster. She had no clue as to where she ran, but she desperately wanted to be alone to think things through. She ignored the voice behind her that called out her name.

_She's ignoring me. _He continued to chase her down and call out her name.

Finally, no longer able to endure it, she stopped and spun around. Out of breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and strained all her breath into one shriek. "SHUT UP!" That's when she dropped to her knees in sobs. She shrieked at him under one strained breath. "Shut up, you idiot!"

Black wings sprouted from his back and he flew the rest of the distance towards her. When he landed in front of her, his wings flapped around her in a gusty breeze. He dropped to his knees, wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. _Her emotions and thoughts are in turmoil. She no longer understands anything and feels like such a lost child._

_What on earth is he up to? _Her tiny fists pounded him as she fought back and she shrieked in agony. "Don't touch me!"

He chuckled. "You may as well give up. Any damage you inflict upon a man like me would be that to the heart." _I must admit, this one's a real heartbreaker. Men had best watch themselves. _To him, this young woman made him feel so much as if he witnessed a child scream and cry in agony right in front of him. That's how much he noticed her suffer. The fact that he desperately wanted to reach out to her made him wonder if he actually had a gentle heart that lead to a sensitive radar. For what seemed like forever, he'd convinced himself of his cold-hearted evil. _Hmmm…I think it's about time I changed my attitude about a lot of things._

She stared at him with a windstorm in her pale, blue-green eyes. "Y-You're jerk." With that, she spit in his face. "Release me this instant, you fiend!"

Haruka wiped the spit from his face. _You know what? I've about had it with her!_

She swung the back of her right hand hard against his left cheek. _What kind of monster have I become? I no longer understand! _Her head throbbed mercilessly as images flashed through her mind. She pressed one hand against each side of her head, squeezed her eyes shut and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Her mind blacked out within an instant and her body went limp.

He held her securely in his arms. His eyes widened with a gasp as he noticed each breath gradually sucked from her body. _I've got to do something quick! _

She'd become still and her heart beat slower with each second that passed. Every part of her felt heavy as lead and she felt herself drift deeper into darkness the more she remained in her current state. The world around her seemed so far away, now. She would rather stay where she could play in the beautiful river and the meadows filled with flowers of all colors and just as beautiful. The climate felt warm, too, and the sun was bright, but it never blinded anyone, or gave anyone sunburn. Someone walked up behind her. He didn't speak, but conveyed the message that it was time to go home. Before she could complain, she heard someone call her name and felt a gentle touch on her right cheek.

Through the grogginess, she heard the chaos around her. She struggled to make her way towards the light.

Haruka noticed her eyes twitch as if in a dreamlike state. _She's out of it._

Her eyes slowly opened and through her hazy vision, she noticed Haruka. Now, she felt overwhelmed with shame and guilt because of the way she treated him. Her eyes welled up with tears as she reached for him. She truly felt grateful because he saved her life. She lifted the oxygen mask strapped to her face and set it aside. A smile on her face, she gently placed a smooch to the cheek nearest her. "I apologize, Haruka. I behaved like a crazy woman. You saved my life and I'm grateful to you for that."

Haruka's nose and cheeks went beet red.

Kantarou grinned from ear-to-ear as he played his Ace card right at that particular moment. "Haruka bought something for you."

He nervously gulped and stared down at his toes. "I hope you like it." _I kinda had no choice since somebody I know ordered me to!_

Kantarou laughed and winked. "Yeah. He read into some things here and there." _My, my, I'm such the evil genius! _

Kikuhime's mouth turned into an 'o'. "Ah!" _What on earth did those two find in my things?_

Haruka glared at Kantarou. "Cut it out! It's rude to mess in a young woman's things even if it's out of good reason! Jeez, Kantarou!" _That guy has a severe lack of mannerisms!_

Kikuhime gave Kantarou a pouty look. "You're pathetic, you know that?" _He really is!_

Haruka winced. "Ouch." _She hit the nail on the head._

Kantarou pretended to be stabbed straight through the center of his heart. "Oh-oh! Ouch, that hurt! So painful, I think I'm gonna die!" He pretended to collapse and die.

Kikuhime stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, shut up, you pathetic loser!" _Sheesh, what a drama King! _


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Tactics_.

Ennabelle Mei: I own Kikuhime Ichinomiya and Kami Ichinomiya.

**Emerge **

~ Chapter Three ~

It'd been a few days since Kikuhime's release from the hospital.

Haruka shook his head with a sigh and the roll of his eyes. _I hope she understands that I may not be human, but I'm still a man. _She didn't amuse him one bit and his voice took on a tone of frustration when he spoke. "Where are you, Kikuhime?"

Pale, blue-green eyes observed him from a flower-filled branch high in the heavens. His words and the tone of his voice tore at her heart, but a smile still splayed along her lips and she still laughed. Tears emerged, but she still listened to nature's gentle music. She closed her eyes and began to sing a beautiful, moderato tune in a mezzo piano soprano. Inside her head, she counted the beats as she sang, "Through the wind's squall." She sang 'Through' for four beats, 'the' for half a beat; 'wind's' and 'squall' were rolled together and held out for four beats. She did a crescendo from mezzo piano to mezzo forte. She rested for one beat. She sang at mezzo piano, "And the rain water's rush." She'd created the song and a warm emotion burst from deep inside her as she sang. She did another crescendo from mezzo piano to mezzo forte. She sang, 'And' for four beats, 'the' for half a beat; 'rain' and 'water's' were rolled together for four beats and 'rush' was sung for two beats. She sang at forte upon the next line. "Lord, you've comforted me." She sang 'Lord' for four beats, 'you've' for half a beat, 'comforted' for four beats and 'me' for four beats. The line is sung strongly with lots of lung power and emotion behind the words.

Behind her, Haruka chuckled. "You know, little lady. The bird sings her sweet melody and the crow finds its prey." _She didn't notice me._

His words landed him to be smacked with black high heels. "Meanie butt!" _ARGH, I can't believe this guy! _

He ducked his head and held his arms in front him as a shield. "Hey, wait! You misunderstand!" _Abusive woman!_

Her sense of balance suddenly felt off and she swung back. Startled, her eyes widened with a gasp and the shiny, black straps of her high heels fell from her fingers. Her flesh scraped the brown bark and the hem of her skirt caught on the rough texture.

_Oh-no, she'll fall! _Haruka reached for her, but missed and she, to both his and her astonishment, did a backflip in mid-air and caught hold of a branch just below. Though, he noticed her grimace. _I bet she popped her back just now. _

Kikuhime looked down from the branch she hung from and judged whether it'd be safe to jump. She swung back and forth two or three times. _It's still pretty far up. _Deep inside, her heart leapt into her throat as she let go. _I was about to lose my grip, anyway. _Eyes wide, the ground vastly approached her. Inside her chest, her heart pounded wildly. Most of her weight landed on her right foot and this toppled her off balance. The moment she fell onto her side, she held out her right arm in an attempt to cushion her head and face from the ground.

_You fool! Are you psycho? _Haruka couldn't believe what he just witnessed. His black wings sprouted from his back as he rushed to her side. He landed beside her and dropped to his knees. "Kikuhime?"

Tears in her eyes, she bit her lip and groaned. "I'm sorry, Haruka. I know I shouldn't have, but I-" _Oh, why'd I have to show off? I'm so stupid!_

He hugged her and gently ran his fingers through her hair. _She's trembling. _"I think it's a little late for an apology. The damage is already done. The thing to do now is learn from your mistakes."

_He really does have a gentle heart. _Her eyes grew heavy and she stifled a yawn. "Humph! I'm sleepy!" In an attempt to cover her embarrassment, she spoke as if aggravated.

Haruka felt her go limp and he noticed her breathe differently. _She fell asleep? _He heard her gasp and snort and a smile spread along his lips as he struggled not to chuckle. He swept her into his arms and carried her towards the house she lived.

Kantarou sat alone on the front porch. When he noticed Haruka with a tiny body in his arms, a frightened look came over him. "What on earth happened to Kikuhime?"

Haruka shook his head and whispered to him, "Shhh…Get Youko to tend to her."

He grinned from ear-to-ear. "Yeah, about that. She went shopping and won't be back for another few hours."

Haruka gave him a serious look. "I don't think she can wait that long, Kantarou. She fell from a tree and injured her ankle."

His words caused Kantarou to stare at him with a stunned expression. "Fell from a tree? What on earth were you two up to?"

"Fine, then. Move and I'll tend to her. You're useless, Kantarou. You know that?" Haruka slid pass Kantarou and entered the house. _I guess I'm the one who must tend to everything! _

Kantarou stayed out of Haruka's way. _It's best not to irritate him._

Haruka carried Kikuhime to her bedroom and gently laid her on the bed beside her teddy bear. He noticed the rip in her skirt and the crimson red and damaged skin that surrounded it. He shook his head and rolled his eyes with a sigh. _Honestly. Why you climb trees in a skirt is beyond me. I'll give that to Youko to fix. _

His coal black eyes searched the bedroom for her dresser. When he found it, he opened the top drawer and searched for some pajamas. _Nope. Not it. That's the underwear, bra and swim suit drawer. _He closed the top drawer and opened the second drawer. _Nope. That's not it, either. That's the sock, under shirt, tank top, slip and panty hole drawer. _He closed the second drawer and opened the third drawer. _Hmmm…Would she be too hot in these? Ah, here we are. This is perfect. _He chose the lovely, red night gown and closed the third drawer.

He sat beside her on the bed. _I hope she doesn't wake and knock me out. _He clumsily unbuttoned her blouse.

She caught his hand and her fingernails dug into his flesh. Her eyelids flew up and she glared up at him. "What do you think you're doing, Haruka?" She sat up and tears gathered in her eyes as she shoved his hand away. "Don't touch me!" She squeezed her eyes shut and tears rolled along her cheeks. "You really are a pathetic pervert who only cares about himself!" Pain surged through her heart. "I'm a moron to have thought you were different from the rest!" She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her lap. She wailed through her sobs and it felt as if she released something she had held back for what seemed to her like forever.

_It sounds to me like men don't respect her. _Haruka wrapped his arms around her thin, sloped shoulders and pulled her close. He spoke to her in a velvety tone of voice. "Hey, now. I'm not as evil as all that. I don't know if I can speak the same for Kantarou, but I know for a fact that it aggravates me when people behave in such a crass manner."

She snort laughed. _Did he just say…?_

He held her at arm's length and gave her a confused look. "What?" _Okay. Now what?_

She shook her head. "It's just that the word 'crass' sounds funny. It may be because it was used in this manga and anime series called 'Black Cat'. The word was used by Train Heartnet to refer to Saya."

His hands slid from her shoulders and he placed them folded in his lap. He raised his eyebrows and blinked. "Oh? Are you into anime and manga?" _Is she an otaku?_

She nodded and smiled a little as a tiny light came into her face. "Oh, of course I am, Haruka!"

He noticed the silver crucifix that hung on black material around her neck. "That necklace looks good on you. Who gave you that?"

Her lips spread into a huge smile and her entire face lit up. Heat rushed to her face and her nose and cheeks flushed red. "My younger sister gave me this for my twentieth birthday. I wore this to my first women's retreat. I spent my twentieth birthday in a special and beautiful place with special and beautiful people."

_I think I found what makes her happy when she's depressed. _Affection reflected in his eyes and he smiled. "I wanted to help you and that's why I…" He gulped and heat rushed to his face. His nose and cheeks flushed crimson.

She noticed the red night gown and grinned from ear-to-ear. "Ahem! Oh, Haruka!" She couldn't resist but to tease him. _He went digging through my things, I see!_

He had a bad vibe about the path Kikuhime took him and gulped. Jittery inside, his heart cantered. _Why do I feel this way?_

Kikuhime spoke seriously. "Hey, Haruka?" _I have to know._

"Yeah?" _Does she know?_

The pounds of her heart drowned out the noises of her surroundings and she could barely look him in the eye. Eyelids squeezed shut, her face twisted with the effort; she nervously threw it at him. "I like you! Do you like me, Haruka?" Terrified, she prepared herself for rejection.

_She's so tense. _He held her tiny hands in his and intertwined their fingers. His face neared hers and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Kantarou walked in at the wrong moment. "Are we inspecting each other's tonsils in here? Phew, it's hot in here and I don't think it's just me!"

Their lips departed and two sets of eyes glared at Kantarou.

"Imbecile! Okay, now, here's the deal! I get to intrude in your private life so that you see how it feels when you do that to us!" She paused in reconsideration. "Oh, wait. Nevermind. I wouldn't dare. I'd be scarred for life because of your crass manner! GRRRARR!"

Haruka glanced from Kikuhime to Kantarou several times. _Uh-oh, Kantarou! I think you irritated her!_

He crossed his arms and stared at her with a serious expression. "It's because of incidents like these that I think you summoned us here just to flirt with Haruka."

She stared back at him with confusion. _What is he saying? He's from the past…and… _Pain surged through her heart again. "Shut up, Kantarou! Just go away!" _No, Haruka! Please, Haruka! I'm begging you! Don't leave me! _"I don't like you, never have and never will! Leave me alone!" Teardrops plopped onto her clenched fists. _It hurts too much. I can't breathe. _

Haruka gave Kantarou an irritated look. "I think you've done enough damage. Go away and consider the pain you've caused Kikuhime. Come back when you're truly sorry and apologize."

Kantarou looked upset. "Hmph! Fine!" He turned around and slammed the door shut behind him.

Tears gathered in her eyes and rolled along her cheeks. "The bird falls for the crow. What a stupid little song bird. You should go talk to him." _It's selfish to keep either one here._

Haruka shook his head. "It'll be fine." _He's like that._

_I spoke out of turn and may have hurt his feelings. I really am a moron. _She placed her hands upon his and gently squeezed. "No, it won't. I know better. I can't stand to witness fights among close friends, especially when they're over me. That kind of thing tears me a part from the inside out." She smiled his way. "Please, Haruka?"

He sighed. _Well, when she asks me that way... _"Alright."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own _Tactics_.

Ennabelle Mei: I own Kikuhime Ichinomiya and Kami Ichinomiya.

**Emerge **

~ Chapter Four ~

As soon as he exited the room, she glared at the closet. "Why don't you come out of the closet? Are you a coward, or just gay? How about both?" With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and shook her head. _Jeez, what a bother._

The door swung open and slammed into the wall. Emerald eyes stared at her with evil. "Oh, shut up, skank!" _You've got no right to speak when I saw you and Haruka kiss! _

Confusion gripped her heart. _What on earth…? _"Who the heck are you?"

The young woman grinned from ear-to-ear. "So glad you asked. My name's Kami Ichinomiya!" _GRRARR! How dare she kiss my beloved Haruka!_ "Give me back my beloved Haruka, you whore!"

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "See? This is how it goes, Kami. Haruka belongs to no one. He is his own person." _This isn't the real Kami Ichinomiya. Something's not right._

At that moment, Kami screamed. _GRRARR! How dare she speak to me in such a rude manner!_

Kikuhime grimaced as pain stabbed through the center of her head. "Knock it off!" _You're giving me a headache!_

Kami wielded an instrument she'd never seen and chanted words in a language she didn't recognize. Fire suddenly lit up the bedroom and heat surrounded the area.

Kikuhime gasped and her eyes widened. "Ah!" _This is evil magic! _

The bedroom door slammed open and Haruka, Kantarou and Youko rushed in to save her.

Kantarou quickly caught on to the situation. "Take her to safety! I'll handle Kami!" As he turned away, a yank on his sleeve stopped him. He turned back to see Kikuhime with a smile and tears in her eyes.

"Thanks, Kantarou. I apologize. Let's aggravate each other some more when this is all over." She playfully pulled him into a headlock. "What do you say?" Her arm fell limp and her eyelids closed. She began to fall backwards.

Haruka swept her into his arms and carried her from the bedroom. _It's a good thing she wasn't standing, or she would've hit the back of her head pretty hard if I hadn't caught her in time._

Kantarou glared at Kami. "So, it was you." _She was behind it all the entire time._

Kami grinned from ear-to-ear as if proud of herself. "Heh! I'm sorry, little boy. I have no clue what you're going on about over there." _Oh, wow. He's impressive._

"What you had for Haruka was never love. You were jealous of anyone Haruka became fond of. You were selfish because you never allowed Haruka to fly free from his cage. You were never happy for him and you never wished him well. All you ever thought when it came to Haruka was his good looks and never his personality. Would you still love him if he were a human on his death bed? Would you love him if he remained a tengu with good looks?" _This person has no right to call Kikuhime a skank, or a whore! That's my job! _He held up his magical, beaded item and chanted. His chant bounced. Startled, he gasped and his eyes widened.

Behind him, a set of short, narrow arms wrapped around his shoulders. In front of him, a beautiful, bright pink rosary hung from small, pale hands. A determined voice not far from the back of his head whispered to him, "Hey, now, this is no time to flake out on me. Let's say it together. You know? 'Be gone evil spirit. I command you.'"

_Hmmm…I feel something big and soft against my back. _He caught himself and mentally kicked himself in the rear. _Okay! Focus! This is no time to be fantasizing about her serious set of hooters! _He sighed. "Okay."

_I know I could end up hurt, or worse, dead. It doesn't matter. I just want to make myself useful and stop this murderer. _"Okay. On three. One…Two…Three!"

Together, they demanded, "Be gone, evil spirit! I command you!"

The evil spirit screamed in agony and vanished. At the same time, an abrupt "Kyaaaaa!" pierced the air as Kikuhime's body flew across the room with the force of her and Kantarou's power.

Kantarou spun around and stared in shock. "Kikuhime!" _Oh-no! Is she all right?_ He rushed to where she'd landed. "Hey! Kikuhime!"

She opened her eyes the slightest bit and stared up at him with blurry vision. Her head throbbed mercilessly and blood seeped out from under her. A peaceful smile spread along her lips. "I'm…happy." Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled along her cheeks.

Beside him, Haruka dropped to his knees. "Kikuhime?" _She must've known._

She weakly reached for him. "Yeah…I'm happy."

Haruka took her tiny hands in his. "Oh, Kikuhime." He held the top of her hand up to his lips and lightly kissed it. "Rest in peace."

Her eyes closed and her body went limp.

Youko, who kneeled on the other side of Kantarou, stared at Kikuhime with a sad expression and wept. She'd been there all along, just ever so quiet, for once.

Kantarou playfully teased Haruka. "Haruka fell head over heels for her!"

Haruka didn't want to be messed with at the moment. "Oh, shut up, Kantarou!"

Kantarou felt yanks upon his hair and suspected who did that to him. Through his teeth, he told the mischievous spirit, "Cut it out."

A chibi Kikuhime spun about him and laughed. "Oh? Did I just hear him tell me to 'cut it out'? Do you mean that as in 'cut it off'? You desperately need a trim, dude."

Kantarou stared at Haruka with tears in his eyes. "Haruka! PLEASE, I beg you, get your girlfriend out of my hair! Her chibi spirit haunts me!"

THE END


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